Monday, February 6, 2012

Blackberries


Every February in Canberra, the wild blackberries start to ripen.  Every year in the months leading up to February, I anxiously scan my favourite blackberry patches hoping that this won't be the year that the government finally decides to poison them.  We lost a few good patches this year and yes do I know they are a noxious pest, but they are also such a delicious one.

Last weekend was our first blackberrying trip for 2012 and it appears that this year will be one that we will talk about for years to come.  There are not only an extraordinary number of berries (with plenty still red or green, so there will be picking for weeks to come) but the berries that have ripened are particularly large and juicy.



They are of course wild berries, so they are not the size of ones you would buy in the shops, but they are full of flavour and of course are free!  I estimate S and I picked in the vicinity of 5kg, with only some fairly mangled hands as payment.

Our haul is being put to good use.  The best berries have been frozen for the months to come.  Almost a kilo has been made into sorbet.  We have two large glass bottles full, shortly to become blackberry vodka and there is another large container in the fridge yet to be be assigned to a delicious treat.

If you are new to blackberrying, here are a few tips:
  • Only pick from healthy looking plants.  If it seems to be dying, it has probably been poisoned.  The ACT Government has a list on the TAMS website of places that are being sprayed, check your local government site or better still find a friend with a farm!
  • Wear long pants and long sleeves of clothes that you don't mind being pulled by thorns and stained with blackberry. juice.
  • Wear good sturdy shoes - you are tramping in the bush in summer, there are plenty of spiders, you are stepping on blackberry canes and there is always the possibility of snakes.
  • Be prepared for scratches - my hands look appalling right now
  • If you are freezing them, freeze them in a single layer on a tray, then transfer them to a bag.  That way you end up with a bag of individual berries rather than a giant clump frozen together.


12 comments:

  1. Oh my gosh, I had no idea thsi was even possible here! Oh how I love fresh berries :)

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    1. Hannah, just pull off the Tuggeranong Parkway about halfway between Lady Denman Drive and the Cotter Road heading south. The pine plantation behind the zoo is full of un-sprayed berries. The other good spot is Pialligo Avenue, just the other side of the road from the end of the airport runway.

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    2. Oh, but be careful heading back onto the parkway, the road edge is sharp and will damage your tyres. Just ease up slowly and wait for a long break in traffic. Much better than getting a flat like I did last year.

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  2. Goodness! I didn't know fresh berries were available in Australian cities. I wonder if this is a Canberra thing or if there are any in Perth too? I might need to look into this!

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    1. I think there are blackberries everywhere. I would start by doing an Internet search, if they are prevalent enough you will get people talking about picking spots and the council talking about spraying.

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  3. Wild blackberries! Wonderful. And 5kgs? I'm so envious. I wonder if I can find any near where I am...

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    1. I would do a search leaf, they seem to grow everywhere. I'm always surprised when people don't know about them in Canberra - the place where I pick them is right next to the main highway linking the north and south, you can see them from the road! So check it out, there are probably plenty nearby.

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  4. Oh I miss wile blackberries! We used to have them growing all over the place when I lived in the UK.

    I went camping the other day and saw wild blackberry bushes! But then was thoroughly disappointed by the big signs saying they'd been sprayed :(

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    1. Yes, those spraying signs are disappointing! But they often only spray a limited area, so I would check with the council and find out where they are spraying then you can find another area. They are fantastic.

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  5. Hi, love your blog. Have you been picking this year at all?

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    1. Thanks Kurt! But no, it has been a bit hot with not enough rain this year.

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  6. Did I see some near the zoo? They looked pretty decent after the last week of rain

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